Group size Confused

[17remhunter]

Is a group 5 shots or 3 and if your getting groups at .5 is that good or ok or what................this is all new to me. Does your group size remain the same from one outing to the next or can it open up. I have a friend that shows off a 5 shot group that is .369 but has not come close to that again. Are group sizes suppose to be consistant for can they open up for no apparent reason.

 

[J-B welder]

Is a group 5 shots or 3 and if your getting groups at .5 is that good or ok or what................this is all new to me. Does your group size remain the same from one outing to the next or can it open up. I have a friend that shows off a 5 shot group that is .369 but has not come close to that again. Are group sizes suppose to be consistant for can they open up for no apparent reason.

Even five-shot groups can produce small groups that are in reality just flukes. From a purely statistical point of view, the more shots in the group, the better they represent the accuracy of the gun or shooter, whichever you happen to be testing.

I wouldn't be too proud of a tiny group that I couldn't produce consistently.

 

[Stirling]

I remember a gun mag writer addressing the 5 or 3 shot group question. He said it depends on the barrel. He felt sporter barrels heat up faster and may not provide consistent groups after 3 shots. Heavier barrels will be consistent for more shots. I see his logic but there may be different opinions here.

 

[J-B welder]

I remember a gun mag writer addressing the 5 or 3 shot group question. He said it depends on the barrel. He felt sporter barrels heat up faster and may not provide consistent groups after 3 shots. Heavier barrels will be consistent for more shots. I see his logic but there may be different opinions here.

If barrel heat is what's causing the groups to grow, can't it be addressed by longer intervals between shots?

 

[Idaho Lefty]

To be absolutely SURE of what, MY Rifle and Load, is truly capable of, I will shoot at least, 3 or 4, 5 shot, groups, over a period of, Two "sessions".
Then, to re-test and check POI,..I'll periodically shoot, 3 shots after, that.
I start, a New Barrel on, Load development after, 40- 50 Rounds thu it, to check,.. Velocity and group sizes, as I START to, "Work up", loads.
But, I "Lap" / Polish and carefully "Break in", my Factory, Barrels, FIRST so I am getting, MAX Velocity, a little quicker than, most people, do.
I say that, my Tikka T-3, @ 7.7 pounds, in .270 WSM, used for, Elk, Moose & Lge Mule Deer, is about, a 1/2 MOA Rifle, as I can "usually" shoot groups from, 3/8th's to 1/2 MOA at 100 and 200 Yards and on, my BAD Days, it can jump up to, 5/8 th's to 3/4 MOA, group,.. LOL.
At 500 and 700 Yards, I'm Happy to shoot, a ONE MOA Group's.
I usually take 2 Rifles out, at a Time and rotate them, every 2 or 3 shots to, KEEP bbl's,.. Cool !

 

[HARPERC]

Is a group 5 shots or 3 and if your getting groups at .5 is that good or ok or what................this is all new to me. Does your group size remain the same from one outing to the next or can it open up. I have a friend that shows off a 5 shot group that is .369 but has not come close to that again. Are group sizes suppose to be consistant for can they open up for no apparent reason.

Aggregate is most important to me. Guilty of not doing it myself, but keeping records of every shot fired is a good thing.

Groups open up for reasons, the harder you look you'll find more is apparent than not. Just needs to be sorted out.

I'm a 1 shot group guy myself, but lots of them needed to prove the point. Does my first shot always go where it's supposed to. Not close, but where it's supposed to be. Good "groups" not centered on a hunting rifle aren't that useful to me.

But dang right I'm going to show off when it all comes together. Repeatable or not.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

To answer OP's question,.
Bad groups come from,.. Bad / inconsistent, Loads and Copper / Carbon,.. Fouling, poor, inconsistent, shooting skills or, a Rifle / scope combination, that's,.. NOT up to, "snuff".
Only, the very BEST, Riflemen, can shoot consistently, SMALL, Groups,.. and do it, repeatedly. Like Harper said,.. a good, Agg !
IF, their Rifles are up to, the Task !
I had a bad session, one Day ( A few Flyers ! ) and found that, my inconsistent, "Cheek Weld",.. sucked ( a small,.. Detail,.. LOL ).
PS; and the FIRST, "Cold Bore" shot, when Hunting,.. IS,.. the MOST Important one !

 

[Blkrflguy]

Eric Cortina tosses his barrels after they open up from .25 to .5. To him, they're shot out. But he's world class.
If a gun is a tack driver, it's a tack driver Mon-Fri. A .5 gun with an ES of 20fps or less is good for most any LR hunting situation out to a grand.